Tesco is almost halfway to reaching its target of cutting CO2 emissions per case delivered by 50% by 2012. In its Corporate Responsibility Report 2009, the supermarket says its distribution operation is responsible for 11% of its total carbon footprint.
Last year, its direct carbon footprint from transport was 563,655 tonnes of CO2; its carbon footprint per case delivered was 0.154kg of CO2, a reduction of 3.7% per case delivered across its global operations, which is a reduction of 23% from a 2006 baseline.
Despite opening more stores, Tesco says it has not increased the size of its distribution fleet for three years in the UK. "We have done this by rethinking the way we use our vehicles. For example, we've used the exact measurements of products to help us fill our vehicles 42% more efficiently," says the report.
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the past year, Tesco has increased the number ofdouble-decker trailersin its fleet from 200 to 300, saving 6,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. Also, by transporting more goods by rail, Tesco says it is now saving 2,909 tonnes of CO2 each year compared with 2006.
The report says: "This year [in conjunction with Stobart Group] we increased the train link between our DCsin Daventry, Northants, and Grangemouth, Falkirk, which saves us 4.2 million road miles a year. In October, we also introduced a train between Grangemouth and Inverness."